The usual date for the monsoon to cover the whole country is July 8, and this year arrival is expected near that time or a bit later. Formation of the season’s first depression over the Bay of Bengal means eight states along central and western coastal India will face extremely heavy to heavy rainfall in the next two days. For Monday the IMD has issued a red alert for Chhattisgarh, Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra and eastern Gujarat. The alert remains in place on Tuesday for Konkan and eastern Gujarat, while it is reduced to orange for Chhattisgarh and Madhya Maharashtra, where very heavy rain of 110-200 mm in 24 hours is forecast. Chhattisgarh, Konkan and eastern Gujarat are likely to see extremely heavy spells exceeding 200 mm in 24 hours over the next two to three days.
